Process of treating raisins to remove the cap-stems.



PATENTED FEB. 20, "1906.

F. G. ADAMS.

PROCESS OF TREATING RAISINS TO REMOVE THE GAP STEMS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.20. 1903.

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Ill/III!!! a a 7 Vdmessai UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK COLUMBUS ADAMS, OF FRESNO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO JOHN M. SEROPIAN AND GEORGE SEROPIAN, OF FRESNO,

CALIFORNIA.

PROCESS OF TREATING RAISINS TO REMOVE THE OAP-STEMS-.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedFeb. 20, 1906.

\ Application filed April 20, 1903. Serial No. 163,406-

discovered a newand useful Process of Treating Raisins to Remove the Cap Stems, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvementsmade in treating raisins to remove the capstems and to facilitate and simplify the steps and operations of preparing raisins for t market.

The invention is based on the discovery I have made that by subjecting raisins to a low temperature for a proper period of time the cap-stems will become shriveled and loosened to such a degree that they will readily separate from the raisins and can be removed without affecting the integrity of the skin or the appearance of the fruit. In addition to this the a plication of a temperature sufficiently low fbr the desired purpose has the effect to simplify the process of capstemmin raisins by enabling the manufacturer to ispense with several steps or operations that are at the present time necessarily em loyed to remove the cap-stems.

I eretofore, so far as I am aware, it has been the practice to remove the cap-stems by the applicationof heat, in which the raisins are exposed to a temperature sufficiently high to render the cap-stemsbrittle or put them in such a condition that they will readily separate from the fruit when run through the cap-stemmer.

being exposed to a high temperature are also afiected, to a certain extent, by the heat and with greater or less danger of detracting from or reducing the quality or the character of the product by the use of a too high degree of before packing and especially of a ding to the initial expense in setting up the plant.

As an improvement on the processes or operations heretofore employed and practiced inlthe treatment of rais ns my said invention At theend of the heating operatlon it will be obvious that the raisins v ing raisins to a low temperature prior to the removal of v the cap-stems, as hereinafter more particularly described and set forth in the claim at the end of this specification.

The following description explains at length the nature of In said invention and the manner in which proceed to apply,

consists, essentially, in subjecting or exposcarry out, and practice the same, and in connection herewith I represent in the accompanying drawings and proceed to describe a construction of apparatus devised by me and well adapted for treating raisins according to my said process.

. In the said drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of the apparatus principally in longitudinalsection. Fig. 2 is an end elevation principally in transverse section.

In carrying out my said invention I expose the raisins to a low temperature for a len th of time sufficient to effect the desired'en namely, to render the cap-stems brittle andreadily separable from the fruitby passing the raisins through a closed chamber or compartment in which the required degrees of cold are maintained during the operation. Ordinarily a temperature of from 10 to 20 above-zero, Fahrenheit, will produce the desired results.

To carry or move the fruit through such an atmosphere of cold, I spread it on an endless belt or apron, which is caused to travel at a slow rate of motion through the inclosing .chamber, so as to ex ose the raisins to the cold atmosphere for a onger or shorter period of time, according to the ,speed at which the carrier moves. I have obtained satisfactory results in exposing the fruit to the cold atmosphere for a period of between fifteen and thirty minutes. After the fruit has been cooled to the proper degree it is immediately sub ected to the ca -stemming operations while still in its coole condition.

A low temperature is produced in the chamber by means of coils of pipe carrying a refrigerant, such as is used for cold-storage rooms or in the-well-known ice-makin machines, the pipes being laid throug -the chamber from the outside in rows, coils, or layers placed at intervals apart with the aprons arranged to travel between the rows or coils. ThlS is an effective and also a practical way of maintaining a proper degree of raisins thereto with a minimum expenditure of time and labor. In the apparatus illustrated in the-drawmgs the chamber a has an inlet 6 at the top for introducing the raisins and an outlet at at the bottom with a discharge-spout e, ar-

ran ed to deliver to a cap-stemming apparatus J, of any desired construction. Between these two apertures a number of carriers formed of endless belts or aprons f are arranged one below another at intervals apart alternately with the refrigerating-pi es i, with such variation in len th one Wit another that the top apron, w ich isat one end directly under the lnlet b, will discharge at the opposite end directly upon the adjacent end of the apron next below, while the opposite end of the second apron will discharge upon the corresponding end of the third apron, and soon throughout the whole set or series of traveling carriers. Shafts. g, carrying sprocket-wheels h and extending at one end through the sides of the chamber, give motion to the carriers, which are formed of wire screens and chain belts k with crossfloats or slats m, secured to them at intervals a art. These are arranged to travel upon t e top of the stationary bars p, which are placed at intervals apart transversely under the chain belts. Additional belts formed of endless bands s and carried by pulleys t on the sprocket-wheel shafts serve to support the apronbetween the chain belts.

Power is applied to the s rocket-wheel shaft by ulleys any on the outsi e of the chambfirfand helts connecting them with a powers a t.

The chamber has double walls with the I space filled with a non-conducting material,

An apparatus of this description enables a considerable quantity of raisins to treated by m said rocess in a continuous manner and wlthout oss of time.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent; is-

The improvement in the art of treating raisins to'remove the cap-stems, which consists in subjecting the raisins to a low temperature (approximately 10 to 20 Farhenheit) and then immediately removing the capstems while the raisins are in a cooled condition, substantially as described.

In testimonywhereof I have signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' FRANK COLUMBUS ADAMS.

Witnesses LAZAR PoPovIoH, W. C. MARSHALL. 

